Letters to the Editors

Math not Rays' best subject

Thank you for publishing the baseball salaries for 2002 (Wednesday). If my math is correct, the Rays could have the best closer (Trevor Hoffman), best defensive player (Omar Vizquel), best leadoff man (Ichiro Suzuki) and one of the best starters (Derek Lowe) for the same money they pay Wilson Alvarez and Greg Vaughn. Who's running this club? We could use a guy like him in our monthly poker games.
-- John Winston, Clearwater

Try as I (and I suspect thousands of other Tampa Bay residents) might, it is hard to enthusiastically cheer for a team that is more concerned with cost containment than competitive play. I am tired of the Randy Winn trade rumors because he might become "too expensive" to pay under his next contract.

It is time for owners to commit to the development and retention of the home-grown talent that is the objective of the "five-year plan," or get out of the business. Seeing a stadium on SportsCenter every day that is 75 percent empty (for which the fans cannot be blamed) is an embarrassment. If this organization doesn't want to make an effort to compete, then fold and let players be disbursed to organizations that will at least try to field a major-league team.
-- Michael Schlesinger, Pinellas Park

Column lacks sensitivity

I was disappointed by Gary Shelton's lack of sensitivity for the family and memory of Ted Williams (Put cold-hearted baseball leaders on ice, Tuesday). I have read other articles by Shelton and enjoyed some of them. His use, however, of such a serious matter in making his point about the behavior of baseball officials is tasteless. Not only did the article ridicule the family member of Mr. Williams, whatever his views may be, it made the death of a baseball great into a joking matter.

To add to the tastelessness, it was positioned directly above a sad story (All I want is to talk to her) about a young man, T.J. Layfield, who is coping with the loss of his mother at one of the most momentous times of his life.
-- Patricia A. Smith, Clearwater

Why Gruden, Pack don't fit

Just a passing football thought. If Jon Gruden had ended up in Green Bay, would he have been called "Chucky Cheese?"
-- JoAnn Zinkand, Gulfport